Chicken
by Eggcatcher93
Summary: Tony and Ziva have a game of chicken. Only it's not a normal game of chicken and the forfeits aren't quite the same...
1. And so it begins

**Greetings all. TheCumStain seems to be back in business. Exams are over and the iPod is broke, so I am all yours for the next few days at least, until I am given even more homework and a brand new iPod (fingers crossed for the second one, not the first). Anyhooser, before I get too off topic I'd like to ask you guys something(s).**

**For other writers: Do you ever get fed up writing loads of chapters and/or have difficulty making them long enough?**

**For anyone: Do you have any Tiva ideas that I could steal? Most have already been used and I occasionally need inspiration.**

**Thanking you for your time, you may now move onto the story (if you haven't already that is :p)**

**CHICKEN**

**SUMMARY: **Tony and Ziva decide to have a game of chicken in the workplace. Only it isn't your average game of chicken and the consequences aren't your everyday forfeit either…

Ziva smiled inwardly to herself as Tony entered the bullpen almost thirty minutes late. She couldn't hold her amusement back for long though, as his panicked look towards Gibbs' desk, and then around the bullpen, was just too funny to ignore. After determining that Gibbs was in fact not in the bullpen Tony visibly relaxed and began settling himself down for the day. His rucksack was dropped in its usual place, his suit jacket was placed on the back on his chair and his firearm was taken out of his holster before he turned to address his co-worker.

"Where are Gibbs and McGee?" he asked, totally bypassing any form of greeting.

"Good morning to you too." Ziva replied sarcastically, "They went to investigate the crime scene about twenty minutes ago."

"What crime scene? We don't have a crime scene?" Tony asked, the confused look on his face causing Ziva to smirk in amusement. For a very special agent, Anthony DiNozzo could be rather dense at times.

"The crime scene that was assigned to us twenty minutes ago." She explained, her smile widening as understanding dawned on his face.

"We have a new case." He stated confidently, before a confused look appeared on his face again. "So why are you here?"

"Because Tony," she stated, making her way around her desk and sauntering towards Tony's desk, "I was waiting for you."

Once again the look on Tony's face was priceless. A look of utter shock crossed his face a split second before it was replaced by a badly veiled look of desire. She watched as he looked her over, taking in the form fitting shirt and trousers she had decided to wear today. He hadn't looked at her like that (in an obvious way) for quite a while, and the fact that he was doing it now caused a pang of…something in her stomach. She refused to even acknowledge the possibility that it was lust because she had gotten over Tony a long time ago. _Yeah right._

"Oh." Was Tony's simple reply. He winced slightly at his extremely witty reply, and decided to blame his lack of brain functioning on his partner's outfit and the way it left little to the imagination as she made her way over to him. The few brain cells that had been functioning as his partner made her way over to him completely broke down when, rather than leaning over his desk like usual, Ziva made her way around it and, when he spun his chair around to face her, stepped directly between his legs and leaned forward so that her mouth was millimetres away from his ear.

"Are you going to keep me waiting, Tony?" she asked seductively, innuendo laced into her tone.

"Waiting for what exactly?" he replied, regaining his composure. He was not easily intimidated by women and he refused to be beaten by a woman using the tactics that he applied on a daily basis. Not even if it was an extremely sexy woman who was standing between his legs and whispering in his ear.

"What do you think?" she asked, placing one hand on his chest and the other on the top of his thigh. She hadn't intended on teasing him when she had been making her way over to his desk, but now that she was practically sitting on his lap she wasn't willing to let any opportunity to touch and tease pass her by.

"Well I don't know Ziva." Tony replied, pulling back slightly so that he could see his partner's face. Now over the initial shock, he was quite comfortable with the way things were going. After all, they had been flirting with each other for years, it was just that they didn't usually get this intimate…in public. "What are you waiting for?"

"I'm not sure exactly." Ziva answered, trailing her fingers slowly up his thigh. "But I know that if you aren't willing to help me figure it out I will have to find somebody who is."

"Well then. If you tell me what you need, then I can tell you if I am willing to help."

The hand that was trailing closer and closer to Tony's most valuable body part was distracting Tony, and it took all of his effort not to show how much hid partner was affecting him. But if she didn't stop soon something terrible was going to happen. Either his willpower would diminish and his most valuable body part would react, or he would have to find some other way to divert her hand from its current route.

"Hmm. I may need something to stimulate my brain." Ziva leaned her face even further towards her partner, so that their lips were now less than an inch apart. Tony dared a quick glance to his partner's lips but quickly raised them again, knowing full well that his body needed no stimulation and that he may well look cross eyed staring at her lips from such close proximity.

"What kind of stimulus?" he asked, the hot rush of breath that left his mouth making its way into hers. If the situation had been different ie. If they were not at work, in an open working space where anybody and everybody merely had to glance into their workspace or walk past them to see, Ziva would consider leaning forward and showing him the stimulus that her brain, and her body needed. But just as she started to consider acting on her theory, a different kind of stimulus gave Ziva the epiphany she needed.

"DiNozzo here," Tony greeted his phone, which seemed to have materialised from the middle of nowhere. He shot her a look that was a mixture of apology, relief and guilt as Gibbs said something on the other end of the phone. "Oh, hi boss. Yes, I am at work. Yes I was late. Yes I do have a reason. Huh? The reason? Erm…car broke down? No, that wasn't the real reason. No, it will definitely not happen again…again. Yes, I will get Ziva and then we will come meet you. Bye boss."

"That is the stimulus I was looking for. Thank you for helping to fry my brain Tony." Ziva stated as Tony hung up. She quickly left the confines of Tony's legs and made her way back to her desk, where she began to gather her things she would need in the field.

"It's zap. It's zap your brain. If you're brain was fried you'd be…well actually you'd still be you. So I guess frying it even more might help too."

"Oh, very mature Tony."

"What has gotten into you, Miss I can kill you eighteen ways with a paperclip. Twenty seconds ago you were practically and sitting on my lap and now you look like you can't get far enough away from me."

"Nonsense." Ziva argued angrily. She refused to admit that she had lost her nerve because of a phone call from Gibbs. "Twenty seconds ago I was standing close to you, and now I, we, are going to meet the rest of the team at the crime scene."

"Whatever. You're just unwilling to admit that you're a chicken."

"I am not a chicken."

"You chickened out. Hence the reason that you are a chicken."

"I am no chicken Tony, believe me. There is no way you can call me that, or make me admit that I am one."

"Ooohhh," Tony practically squealed, "Did you just challenge me? Did you just challenge the king of the chicken detectors to prove that you are a chicken?"

"Of course not. You are just being juvenile because you got nothing off me back there." Ziva denied as she and Tony made their way to the elevator.

"You so did. And for the record, it's on."

And so it began. One of the strangest games of chicken played both in and outside of the workplace. For the next few weeks, the two partners would taunt, tease, challenge, and push each other to the limit in order to get the other back down.

**So guys, what do you think? Should I carry it on or leave it? Please review because if you do rainbows will really rain skittles (in my mind) and the rain will shower stars (not really).**

**Have a good one guys,**

**TheCumStain.**


	2. Lead Me On

**Hellooo again Chicken readers. Thanking you all for your constructive reviews, they were very helpful. I'm feeling slightly envious of you all right now though. You can all watch Season 8 and I'm still on Season 7 (sniffle, weep and an almighty sob). However, I will soldier on and continue my story now…**

'**Lead me On' **_**Teena Marie**_

Ziva silently fumed as she processed the crime scene that they had been assigned. A navy lieutenant, Angela Kipling, had been found murdered in her home. From what Ducky had been able to find out at the scene, it was thought that she had been poisoned, and the state in which her body had been found suggested she had been unable to call for help. Now, almost two hours after she and Tony had had their little confrontation in the bullpen, she was stuck at the crime scene with Tony…alone…just the two of them…without fear of being interrupted. This could get interesting.

Smirking to herself, Ziva decided that this was the perfect time to seek revenge. Making her way out of the lieutenant's living room, she stalked her way into the bedroom where Tony was currently photographing. He looked up at her when she arrived, his eyes full of a mixture of smugness and also wariness. He knew that she wouldn't be able to help it. She would have to prove him wrong. It was in her nature after all.

"Do you need something?" he asked, wincing slightly at the somewhat defensive tone of his voice. The last thing he needed was her to notice that he was on edge.

"Maybe." she replied, approaching her partner. After having spent at least a decade being trained in the act of assassination and interrogation, she read Tony's body language easily. He was nervous. And he had every right to be. She had a point to prove, after all.

"If you don't have any specific ideas, then why are you talking to me? Why don't you carry on processing the scene like you're supposed to be doing?"

"Because I felt like taking a break." She replied simply, sitting on the edge of the Lieutenant's bed. Tony just stared at her for a few seconds, his expression doubtful.

"Huh." He finally conceded, throwing her one last doubtful look before continuing to photograph the room.

Ziva sat and stared at him work for a few moments before giving the room a once over. It was clear that the lieutenant had been a neat freak. A few books and photographs were placed at strategic points on the small shelf in the corner of the room, the clothes in the wardrobe were precisely organised, and her shoes were lined up in a perfect row. The bed itself was placed exactly in the middle of the wall where it was backed against, flanked by two identical tables, on which two identical lamps were placed exactly in the centre. She also couldn't help to notice that it was very similar to the way in which she had organised her apartment when she had first arrived in America.

"So," Tony said a few minutes later, lowering his camera and approaching his partner with a knowing look on his face, "What was your real reason for coming in here?"

"That is for me to know and you to find out, Tony." She replied, standing up. Her new position meant that she was now standing between Tony and the bed, with only a couple of inches between them both. If they hadn't been at a dead person's house, she would have considered doing a few…things to her partner, but considering they _were _at a crime scene and they _were _technically working, she decided to keep things light between them.

"Do I want to find out?" he asked, his eyes twinkling. This was starting to feel a little bit like their encounter in the bullpen, and he was quite happy to admit that he wouldn't mind a repeat of what had happened, or an encore for that matter. Improvisation was a skill that he regularly put into practice, and he was more than willing to use it if their situation escalated.

"You are Tony." She stated. "Of course you want to find out."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that I know you Tony. And I know that you are one of the nosiest people I have ever met. And I have met a lot of people, most of which were nosy."

"I am not nosy!"

"Yes you are."

"Prove it!"

"I will."

"Do it then."

"I shall."

"Do it now."

"That would be pointless."

"No it wouldn't."

"Yes it would."

"Why would it?"

"Because you know what I'm trying to do. Therefore, you wouldn't fall into the trap which would prove how nosy you really are."

"So what are you going to do then?"

"This."

And with that, Ziva closed the distance between her and her partner and unhesitatingly pressed her mouth to his, not in the least surprised when his hands snaked around her waist to pull her closer. She quickly let him gain control of the kiss, allowing him to run his tongue along her lips so that she opened her mouth. As their tongues explored each other's' mouths, she couldn't help be pleased about the turn of events, much preferring the game of tonsil hockey she was currently playing with her partner to processing the crime scene.

Any and all thoughts of protesting quickly left Tony's head when Ziva decided to do some exploring. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she further deepened the kiss, sighing when the movement brought her body even closer to her partner's, if that was even possible. Burying one hand in his hair, she allowed the other one to trail down his neck and back before reaching his ass. Giving it a light squeeze she then trailed her hand around to his front, where she plunged her hand underneath his waistband, grasping his…

"What are you doing?" he yelped, jumping back. "We're at a crime scene."

"Are you saying we need to stop, Tony?" she asked, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Well, yeah. We can't do this here." He reasoned, regret laced into his tone.

Smirking, she winked at him before turning around and making her way out of the room. As she reached the door she threw one last look over her shoulder.

"Chicken."

**Sooo, is this chapter any good guys? I'm not so sure what to think, but if you could drop a line on your way out, I'd really appreciate it :p See you soon,**

**TheCumStain **


	3. It's Not Over

**Aloha people. TheCumStain is back once again for Chapter 3. I'd just like to say a big thank you to everyone who reviewed my story. Twas much appreciated and to show my thanks, here is the next chapter. Enjoy.**

'**It's not over' **_**Daughtry**_

Ziva looked over at Tony across the bullpen, smirking in amusement at what she saw. Since arriving back at the office, he had done nothing but take his bad mood out on his computer, call McGee names and glare at her. It seemed that her calling him a chicken had dampened his mood somewhat and she wasn't the least bit unhappy that she was the cause of that. In fact, she was quite proud.

"Is something wrong Tony?" she asked, pasting a look of feigned innocence and concern on her face. He didn't miss the opportunity to gloat, so neither would she. She had even spent the afternoon planning it, waiting until Gibbs was out of the office before putting her plan into action.

"Not at all Ziva. Everything is fine. In fact, everything is great." He replied sarcastically, his tone contradicting his response.

"Are you sure?" she pushed, fighting to keep a smirk to herself. "You look somewhat…frustrated."

"Well I can't think why. I mean, it's been a perfectly normal day. I came to work, worked a crime scene, and am currently doing paperwork. At least I would be if you would leave me alone."

"No need to be so touchy." She chided, finally releasing the smirk she had been attempting to keep to herself.

"Whatever." Was his only reply before pointedly turning back to his computer screen, effectively ending the conversation.

Later on that afternoon Tony watched as Ziva excused herself to go to the bathroom. Glancing around he noticed that Gibbs was once again absent and McGee was engrossed in what looked to be one of his self-help CDs. It was the perfect opportunity to get his own back for Ziva's little trick earlier on, and he took it. Not needing to make any excuses, he left the office space and made his way to the ladies bathroom.

Cautiously popping his head around the door, he saw that only one cubicle door was closed, and after a quick inspection he had come to a firm conclusion - They were alone. He locked the door and leaned against it seconds before the cubicle door opened and Ziva stepped out. She stopped dead when she saw him blocking the door, but only for a second. Deciding she would let him make his move she made her way over to the sinks where she washed her hands, making sure to take her time. She _would _win this game. Meeting his eyes in the mirror, she noticed that he seemed to have calmed down somewhat. There was a look in his eyes however, that she couldn't remember him ever giving her. Not for a very long time anyway.

"That wasn't very nice." He finally said, walking up until he stood behind her, not quite touching but close enough that she could feel the heat coming from his body and smell his aftershave. Cocking her head slightly, she didn't answer him, instead forcing her body not to lean into his.

"I don't understand." She replied finally, a confused look appearing on her face. To Tony that look was one he saw a lot, often as a result of misunderstanding American idioms…or not understanding them at all. At this moment in time however, he couldn't make up his mind. Was she playing dumb or was she really confused about what he was referring to?

"I'm referring to you doing what you did at the crime scene." He explained, holding her gaze. "That was not fair."

"You're saying that I am not playing fair, Tony?" she asked incredulously.

"Yep." He confirmed.

"What type of game are we playing then? Just so that I can be sure what would be classed as playing fair." she asked, finally breaking his gaze so that she could turn and face him. The new position trapped her between the counter and her partner's body. Tony didn't bother to back away though. They both knew what they were doing, and they both knew that if she wanted to, Ziva could cause him serious damage if he did anything that she didn't want him to.

With that thought in mind, Tony didn't give her a chance to back away. Grabbing her waist he hoisted her up so that she was sitting on the counter before sliding his arms further down. He gently traced his fingers down her belly and down to her thighs, gently prising them apart so he could place his body between them. With only a few inches between them, he traced random patterns on her thighs as he leant further into her.

"One with no rules, apparently." He responded before finally closing the distance between the two of them. Covering her mouth with his he effectively stopped any retort that she was going to give. The sound that she made instead was quite amusing, causing him to smile against her mouth. Was it a whimper? A groan? A growl? Did it really matter? The feel of her tongue sliding along his upper lip made him decide that it didn't matter so long as she stayed quiet. Parting his lips slightly, his tongue reached out to chase hers, deepening the kiss. _If this is all it takes to shut her up, _he thought to himself, _I should do this more often._

He quickly lost any ability to think when he felt Ziva's hands wind around his neck, one gently tugging the hair at his nape and the other clutching his shoulder. If he wasn't careful, things were going to happen that shouldn't…not in the women's bathroom at work anyway. Trailing his fingers down her body, he stopped at the hem of her shirt. Slowly, almost as if it was accidental, he manoeuvred his fingers underneath the shirt and over the lower half of Ziva's stomach, continuing to draw the random patterns that he had started on her thighs. He slowly traced them up her stomach, taking the signs that his partner was making as encouragement. Just when he reached the bottom of her bra, she abruptly pulled back and glared at him.

"I know what you are trying to do" she said breathlessly, "And it is not going to work."

"Oh?" he replied, slightly out of breath himself, "And what would that be?"

"You are just using this…game as a way of getting me to have sex with you, yes?"

"What?" Tony said stunned.

"You are trying to trick me, are you not? You just want me to be another notch in your little blue book."

"First of all you got that wrong. It's either notch on your bed post or name in my little red book. And secondly, you started this game, Ziva."

"Whatever. I am not playing anymore." She said dismissively. Giving Tony a shove pushed him far enough away, she hopped off the counter and headed towards the door.

"Just what I thought." Said Tony smugly, "You are a chicken."


End file.
